Yet Here We Are…
by SekaiNoAi
Summary: ""Well, this awkward…" I tried to pull away but Alistair's grip was too tight. "Awkward! I thought you were enjoying being up close and personal" He teased." Felicia and Alistair have fallen head over heels in love. But how will the couple fair in the face of the growing blight and what will happen when the pair learn the real reason why only the wardens can defeat the archdemon?
1. The Kiss

**Inspiration has returned apparently in the form of fluffy romances! Yay! ^,^  
Alistair x Felicia Cousland, I hope you enjoy this!**

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I watched Alistair fondly as we sat by the glow of the campfire. He stared into the amber flames, thinking silently. Only a few minutes ago we had been laughing and joking together, but the conversation had turned to a sensitive topic. Duncan. In an instant the mood had turned sombre.  
"What do think he makes of all this? Duncan, I mean"  
I blinked, surprised by his question. Alistair was now watching me, with his signature puppy dog eyes, yearning for me to comfort him.  
"I guess… I guess he'd be terrible hurt and angry by Loghain's betrayal." I began softly "I also think he'd feel sorry that all responsibility for the blight now rests on our shoulders. I mean, we were never meant to be facing the blight alone"  
"Yet here we are…" Alistair said bitterly under his breath. "I'm sorry Felicia…"  
"Huh?" I puzzled at his unexpected apology.  
"Well, you haven't exactly had it easy yourself. In fact you've had it pretty bad. First your parents, then Ostagar… And yet, you never complain. You're always bright and cheery… and I'm always whinging. For that, I'm truly sorry."  
A single tear trickled down my face. I had tried not to think of my parents since I joined the wardens; I knew if I did, I would cry and I desperately didn't want to. My parents died so I could succeed, not so I could bawl like a baby. But here I was, doing exactly what I promised myself I wouldn't. As the tears began to fall faster, I tried desperately to stem the flow with my hands. I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of him…  
"Licy!" Alistair made an attempt to comfort me with a cuddle, but I waved him off.  
"I'm… fine!" I gasped between sobs. I wasn't, and Alistair knew that, and despite my protests he wrapped his arms around me and carefully pressed my head against his armoured chest. Tenderly, he stoked my charcoal hair and calmly hushed my sobbing.  
"I feel so stupid" I finally mumbled after a few minutes  
"You're most certainly not." He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. I sighed, wiping away the tears from the end of my nose.  
"Well, this awkward…" I tried to pull away but Alistair's grip was too tight.  
"Awkward? I thought you were enjoying being up close and personal" He teased. Again, I tried to pull away but Alistair wouldn't let me escape and instead squeezed me even tighter.  
"You're bullying me now!" I giggled.  
"Bully you? I would never dream of such a thing my fair lady!" He laughed as I struggled against his clasp. "But joking aside" He suddenly turned rather serious and he held my at arm's length "I want to tell you, that one amazing thing has come out of this blight and in a way, I thank it for it. For you." I blushed a deep scarlet colour and my heart raced like never before.  
"If it wasn't for the damned blight, we would never have met. And that, I'm sincerely grateful for. I couldn't have done any of this without you, Felicia"  
I was speechless. I felt exactly the same way about Alistair, but I'd never imagined that he felt that way.  
"I guess I'm trying to say, "I love you". Now if we could just skip ahead to the hot steamy bits that would be greatly appreciated!" He grinned nervously at me; I just blinked in utter amazement, my cheeks still burning red.

And then, somehow, our lips locked together in an embrace. It was warm and tasted sweet. It was a totally new concept to me, but one I liked. The kiss seemed to stretch an eternity with neither party wanting to pull away. Eventually, our lips parted; we knew the darkspawn would wait for no man. Only a selection of words passed our lips afterwards, before finally we went to our separate tents and turned in for the night.

And that was my first kiss…

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**I did intend this to be a one shot, but I feel like I need to extend this, so hopefully, more chapters to come! :3  
Thank you for reading~ **


	2. Conflicts

**It's been so long! Sorry~ ^o^'**

**But anyway, the new chapter is here finally!  
Enjoy :D**

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"What was that?"  
"What was what?"  
"Last night" Morrigan scowled.

It was early morning and we had all been irritably awoken to the deafening barking of Riddle, my mabari hound. It turned out to be just a solitary squirrel, but to Riddle it was an intruder to his carefully guarded territory. All the poor creature had been doing was collecting nuts for later consumption; it had not intended to cause a fuss. Unfortunately though, it had, and the whole camp couldn't help but resent it.  
Begrudgingly, we all arose from the warmth of our bedrolls and started to make the necessary preparations for the day ahead. There was a mutual silence over the camp as we packed away our temporary homes for another day in the heat of the morning sun and spring breeze. Everyone seemed too tired to speak. At least for a while.

Morrigan had been eyeing Alistair with a notable disdain for the past few minutes. She sat, arms crossed, by the remains of last night's fire with all possessions neatly packed away in her leather bag. Her eagle eyes studying the ex-Templar-in-training as he slowly dismantled his makeshift tent. Then, out of nowhere she directed a question at him, deliberately making her voice as loud as she could so that the whole camp heard.  
"What was that?"  
I watched silently from the entrance of my tent, anxious at what Alistair would say. I knew Morrigan was referring to last night and so did Alistair. It wasn't hard to interpret. But everything had happened so fast the previous night that Alistair and I hadn't even thought to discuss the inevitable questions from the other members of our party.  
From his tent, Alistair quietly turned to face the witch and was silent for a fleeting moment before calmly answering.  
"What was what?" He had intentionally decided to play dumb to rile the woman, which wasn't the best of things to do. I smiled inwardly. Alistair always had to go about things the hard way and somehow he seemed more attractive for it.  
However, Morrigan was not amused and did not even try to hide her scowl.  
"Last night" her reply came through gritted teeth.  
"The moon, perhaps? Stars? I'm not sure what you mean?"  
Morrigan was seething by now. It was obvious she desperately wanted to snap at the warden but she did not. She breathed deeply before stating with dwindling composure "You and your warden friend," she looked sharply at me before returning her attention back to Alistair. "were rather... close last night, were you not?" The silence of the camp seemed to get impossibly louder. Everyone, including myself, watched Alistair intensely, waiting for a reply. Not a single person even dared move. The atmosphere could have been cut with a knife.  
Alistair was sweating somewhat, nerves began to show as he wiped his forehead tentatively. Morrigan smiled sweetly at him, obviously enjoying his discomfort.  
"As I said, I don't know what-" He begun to croak before I interrupted.  
"I was upset" Morrigan looked at me in annoyance. Clearly, she knew what had happened last night but she wanted to watch Alistair squirm as he tried to avoid her questioning. The pair had never got on from the moment they met and their relationship was not unlike that between a cat and a mabari. Every day, they would argue about something new and each constantly wanted to get one up on the other.  
"Alistair was comforting me" I continued with less confidence as I felt the increasing number of eyes upon me "That was all" I shrugged.  
For a moment it seemed Morrigan was going to direct a malicious retort at me. My heart skipped a couple of beats as I waited nervously for her reaction. Cautiously, she bit back any kind of response and directed her attention to Alistair once again.  
"Well I see." She said, obviously unconvinced "Somehow though, I think 'twas a little more than "comfort", but I'll take her word for it" Her eyes scanning Alistair's sweat laden face with annoyance. With one swift swooping motion, Morrigan picked up her bag and marched over to the opposite side of the camp, as far away from Alistair as she could be. Alistair watched her go with a paralleled air of annoyance before he looked over to me and mouthed "Thank you". I smiled gently and nodded. After a brief second we reluctantly returned to our planning and preparation. The rest of the camp had as well, all except for Wynne that was. She was frowning in a manner that reminded me of the frowns my mother used to give whenever I had returned home with leaves, twigs and other greenery in my hair and mud stains and rips in my frilly frocks. I had never been very girly and my mother could often be heard complaining that it was like she had had a second son.  
But Wynne couldn't possibly be frowning at the state of my hair or clothing. But she did not say a word and eventually re-joined the others, but I couldn't help but be wary of the aged woman.

...

"So what's yer plan? I hope it involves cracking a few skulls!"  
I smiled briefly at Oghren. His crude bloodlust was one of the dwarf's defining features, along with his drunkenness.  
"Well, we've acquired the aid of the mages, elves, dwarves and even a few golems." I recalled to the camp, pacing back and forth as I did. "We also have the support of Arl Eamon. The only thing left is the Landsmeet" As the words left my lips, I looked instinctively over at where Alistair was standing. He avoided making eye contact with me, staring straight down at the dusted gravel floor. He gulped somewhat before blushing profusely. Alistair was completely aware of my gaze but he desperately tried not to acknowledge it.

"Where is the Landsmeet to be held?" Leliana broke the silence. I turned to her, much to Alistair's relief, and replied "I'm not actually too sure. I guess the palace in Denerim, but Arl Eamon said to go to his estate there. There are probably things that we need to settle before the Landsmeet actually happens"  
"Like whether bumbling fools truly have the brain capacity to rule, I assume" Morrigan appeared from the shadows leering at Alistair. It was evident she had been waiting for another chance to provoke him and it had worked like a charm. Alistair's cheeks flushed red with anger at the witch and his were fists clenched by his sides. He looked positively violent towards the woman, but she remained unfazed.  
"Morrigan!" I hissed "We have enough enemies right now. We don't exactly need to add to their numbers!"  
She didn't take a great deal of notice and continued to smirk at the man.  
Wynne stepped in front of Alistair, gently placing her hands on his shoulders and murmuring something to him. Whatever she'd said seemed to calm the warden to an extent, but there he was no doubt still fuming at the insult. It didn't help that he was already stressing out over the prospect of kingship.  
"Has the Swamp Witch quite finished? I would much prefer that it told us its plan so we can start moving. I fear there may be more of those blasted pigeons nearby" To my left, the great dwarven golem, Shale, spoke in its gravelly tone of annoyance. It waited for the "Swamp Witch" to answer it; eyes glowing fiercely even in the daylight. But unfortunately, Morrigan was hardly in one of her more obedient moods and instead she remained silent, but the look of irritation at the stone carving spoke louder than words.  
"Umm… Thank you, Shale. As I was saying… urrr…" I began "We've recruited all the help we can get to defeat the Blight and now we need to find Arl Eamon in Denerim. I propose we go around Lake Calenhad and towards Redcliffe. At Redcliffe we should stop for supplies before continuing towards Denerim. Any objections?"  
The camp remained silent.  
"Ok, let's go"

And with my plan of action in mind, we began our long walk to the village of Redcliffe. It would take a few days to reach the village and hopefully it would be in a better state than the last time we were there.  
The party was oddly quiet. Only a few words were said and usually they were between the red-headed Leliana and the elven assassin, Zevran. I couldn't help but notice how close the pair had grown. "Is that how Alistair and I appear to everyone?" I couldn't help but wonder.  
Sten and Shale lead the party with Morrigan bringing up the rear. Alistair walked directly behind me. He didn't say anything and kept his head down, deep in thought. I willed him to say something; the quiet Alistair was rather unnerving.

After at least an hour of trudging through the Ferelden countryside with the sun beating down onto our backs, I couldn't help but notice Wynne, who had been towards the front of the group, begun to hang back somewhat as if she was waiting for the rest of us to catch up. I eyed her with an air suspicion which she matched in equal measure. After the morning's incident with Morrigan and Alistair, I was unsure where I stood with the Mage. From the looks she gave, she clearly thought I was up to something. What, I did not know.  
I was about to open my mouth to ask what her problem was, as her scrutinising looks had become unbearably uncomfortable, when she leaned in towards Alistair and asked in a concerned manner "Alistair, can I have a word?" Then she looked directly at me and added "In private"

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**Chapter 3 shouldn't take too long!  
Thank you for reading**


	3. Suspicions

**Ok, so I may have been telling a porky pie when I said chapter 3 would be published soon... ^O^''  
It's been like 8 months since I last updated... xD**

**Sorry!  
But don't they say it's better to be fashionably late than never turn up at all?**

**Anyways, enjoy! :D**

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"I shan't worry if I were you" Morrigan attempted, to her best abilities, to calm my nerves, as I looked over my shoulder for the hundredth time.  
Wynne and Alistair were now bringing up the rear as we passed the "charming", albeit deserted, village of Haven. The pair were deep in a hushed conversation with the only time either would stop to draw breath was when they realised I was watching them, straining my ears to hear even a fragment of what was being said. Up at the front, grumbles could be heard from Shale as it recounted, again, the trials and tribulations from its time in Honnleath, to Sten and Leliana. Oghren and Zevran were a little behind them, in the middle of their own avid conversation about the different ways to murder and butcher someone.  
Morrigan and I however, walked at a slower pace, a little way away from the pair and closer to Wynne and Alistair. It seemed that Morrigan had sensed my anxiousness at their "private chat" and had decided to try and comfort me in her own semi-friendly way.  
"The fool has fallen head over heals in love with you." She continued "I doubt any amount of interfering from his-new-found-mother will change that fact"  
"Hmmm..." I acknowledged distractedly  
"It baffles the mind that one could even consider such behaviour mothering!" Morrigan scowled "If Flemeth had ever treated me in such a manner I would dread to think what kind of pathetic snivelling being I would have become. No, mothering should be a firm process in which a child learns that love is a weakness and power and survival are what really matter. Do you not agree?"  
"Hmmm..."  
"Then, I really do not understand what attracts you to him. I mean, he has become such a bumbling moron even without a pair of "loving" parents. Surely that is of concern to you?"  
"Hmmm..."  
Morrigan sighed before raising a pale hand and snapping her long elegant fingers in front of my face, as if she were attempting to awaken me from a trance. It worked like a charm, and I nearly fell into Wynne as I jumped in complete shock.  
"By the Maker! What was that for?!" I yelped as I clumsily regained my balance, blushing profusely. I could feel the eyes of the rest of our travelling companions turning to see what all the kerfuffle was about.  
"You were not listening to me. 'Twas as if I was trying to converse with the undead." she replied matter factly.  
"Was the scaring me witless absolutely necessary though?!"  
"It had the desired effect, so I do not see why not" Morrigan smirked slyly.

...

Alistair shook his head violently at my quizzical expression. It had only been a few moments since the conversation between Wynne and Alistair had dissolved, but I was desperate to know what had been said. Unfortunately, Alistair seemed unwilling to say a word on the matter, much to my dismay. I hung my head low and tried my best to continue as if nothing had happened, but my mind was spinning with questions only he or Wynne could answer.

Surprisingly, after a few minutes, Wynne quietly spoke from behind me, "I'd like to have a talk with you too, if it's not too much trouble." The warmth that had been in the woman's voice for Alistair was... missing for me.  
I turned slowly to look at the mage. Her expression was deadly serious and definitely not one to be trifled with. Sighing, I slowed my pace somewhat so Wynne could catch up. From ahead, I could see Alistair watching me with a sympathetic look upon his face.

"What is this about Wynne? You've been acting weird since this morning." I remarked wearily.  
"I want to know what your intentions are" She inquired bluntly, her eyes studying my every move.  
"Intentions?" It finally dawned on me.  
"Alistair is, if everything goes to plan, going to be king. Your suddenly blossoming relationship with him seems... suspicious"  
My cheeks flamed in scarlet rage. Wynne thought I was using Alistair!  
"Are you trying to say I'm only with Alistair in the hope that I may share in his wealth and power?" I was having trouble keeping my voice down so that the others did not hear us.  
"One might assume so in light of what is to come." Her eyes were staring icily and unblinking. "I ask again, Felicia, what are your intentions?"  
I breathed in a slow deep breath before lowering my voice to a dangerous, barely audible whisper "I have no intentions for I intend nothing" Came my answer, taking particular care to enunciate every syllable.  
We stopped walking and stood looking one another directly in the eye. It didn't take a scholar to see that Wynne was waiting for me to flinch or in some subconscious way prove to her that I was lying. I did not. Finally I said defiantly without shifting my gaze "I truly love Alistair"  
Nothing was said for a good few minutes, neither of us daring to move. We stood, stock-still, eyes burning into one another. I knew, as well as Wynne did, that I wasn't lying, but if I let my guard down for even a split second, she'd attempt to cut me down like any old darkspawn on the battlefield, only for this occasion, she'd use words as her weapon of choice. Fortunately, Wynne relaxed her stance before we struck blows to one another. Softly, I sighed in relief, allowing myself to rejoice in my small victory. Wynne gave me a look of slight doubt before saying in an extremely ambiguous tone "I see..." It wasn't exactly the apology I was hoping for but it was a start. There was no point pushing the matter further. We still had a lot to do and I didn't need her approval, just for us to be civil to one another.  
"Come on" I shrugged wearily, taking a few steps forward "We need to catch up with the others" Wynne watched me carefully, before also deciding it was best not to push things, and walked past me in a semi-pompous manner, steadily onwards to where the others had disappeared over the Ferelden horizon. Sighing again, I uneasily followed Wynne's lead. "It could be worse" I told myself "My head could be being munched on by an ogre, right now..."

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**I'm not going to even guess when chapter 4 will be written...  
Hopefully sometime this century! If not feel free to burn me at the stake ^.^''**


	4. Empathy

**I should be revising for my GCSEs... Instead I'm writing FanFiction... Dx**

**This isn't an extremely long chapter but to compensate a very fluffy chapter 5 is in the process of being written and shouldn't take too long (touch wood). But for now enjoy chapter 4 ^o^**

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The sun set with a shimmering glow of crimson and amber across the surprisingly cloudless Ferelden sky as we finally decided on a place to set up camp for the night before we arrived at Redcliffe the following day. Even though we hadn't exactly walked a great distance, I was utterly exhausted and felt particularly unfocused on what I needed to do after the events of the last 24 hours. I had not dared speak to Alistair once Wynne and I had caught up with everyone. I did not enjoy the feeling of being scrutinised by the woman over my every action. In hindsight, maybe I should have spoken with him so that Wynne could see I truly was serious about the fellow warden. My lack of communication with him could have caused her to disbelieve my claims even more than she already had, if that was even possible. Or maybe I was just over thinking things myself...

I fumbled absent-mindedly with my tent in some futile attempt to assemble the damn thing. The woven material hung limply over its poles resembling more of the regurgitated remains of a tent than an actual one. Sighing, I slowly let myself sink to the ground, defeated by my most ferocious enemy yet, a tent.  
"If you're planning to sleep in that, you may want some help." The voice made me jump and scrambled hastily to my feet to see a red-headed Orlesian smiling slyly at me in the way she always did. I had always found Leliana challenging to read and was unsure if she was being genuinely nice to me or if there was a hint of sarcasm to her words, but after a few brief moments consideration I decided it was the former.  
"Yeah, I guess..." I replied dejectedly after a short pause. Leliana regarded me with curiosity before attempting to untie one of the many knots I had created with the tent's rope. She struggled with it for a while, confused by the many ins and outs of the rope, before managing to unravel it. Reluctantly, I removed the wooden tent poles from the mess and piled them up at the side. We worked in complete silence for a time. From the corner of my eye, I occasionally saw Leliana move her pert mouth in an effort to speak but no audible words came out, until eventually she said "I know it's not exactly any of my business, but I've noticed you have not been yourself ever since Wynne..." Leliana paused, trying to find the correct way to phrase her statement. "...made her... opinion known about your... closeness with Alistair." Her orlesian accent danced delicately over every syllable and I could feel her piercing blue eyes studying me closely.  
"How do you know Wynne spoke to me about Alistair?" I quickly deadpanned her observation. A little too quickly for Leliana's liking.  
"It's not exactly difficult to discern, Felicia. I'm sure that even a genlock would be able to figure that one out!"  
I sighed nonchalantly, trying my upmost to avoid eye contact with the bard. "Ok, maybe she did. What of it?"  
Leliana did not say anything for a short time and I was beginning to wonder if she intended to answer me at all before she breathed sympathetically "Wynne does not think you are a bad person. On the contrary in fact. It's just..." She stared at the floor with an almost apologetic expression across her petite face. Slowly, she looked back at me empathetically and continued in a soft voice "I believe Wynne wants to fill the hole in her life that was created by the chantry taking her son from her, and I think she believes the best way to do that is to be a mother to the closest thing she has to a son, which, even though she hasn't known him for very long, is Alistair. It seems to be instinctive, her need to care for someone. I've seen animals do it the wild. When a mother loses her young, she will find another to raise and protect. Some will even go as far as stealing the offspring of other mothers…" Leliana trailed off, distractedly, before continuing with more confidence in her voice. "At least that's why I think she is on the offensive with you at the moment. She perceives you as a threat to Alistair." I stayed completely silent throughout Leliana's explanation, pawing absent-mindedly at the grass beneath us with my foot. It made sense and I pitied the woman for her unimaginable loss, but... I wanted to be selfish, I wanted Alistair to myself. _Heck, I saw him first!_ But, I couldn't. Alistair wasn't a possession. He was a kind-hearted, sweet, charming, handsome, comical, awkward human being. I felt my cheeks flush scarlet and butterflies flutter in my stomach from just thinking of him. I loved him; I was certain of that. I just needed Wynne to see that.  
With the tent looking habitable and the darkness drawing closer, Leliana excused herself from my presence, mumbling something about keeping watch. As she left, she gently placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze before rushing off to the other side of the camp site. I stood in front of the newly arranged tent, lost, not for the first time, in thoughts of Alistair, the man I cared so deeply about.

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**Trivia Fact: This FanFiction is called "Lamposts" on my computer for, what I believe are, obvious reasons with the chosen Warden x Alistair pairing. I decided against publishing it with the name as I haven't even mentioned said conversation... yet! xD**


	5. The Rose

**Hello everyone! *waves*  
It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry about that but it's just life and stuffs getting in the way like usual Dx**

**I'm not 100% happy with this chapter... I think I went overboard with the whole fluff business. But my friend read it and thought it was fine so I guess it depends on your personal tastes when it comes to fluff.  
This is also my longest chapter to date I believe. I'm always useless at writing big chapters so I was pleasantly surprised by the length of this one.**

**Anyways, I shall leave you to read this new chapter.  
_Au revoir, mes amis!_**

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"We should really stop meeting like this" My heart skipped a beat as I spun around to see the owner of the chuckling voice approach the glowing campfire, his expression one of cheeky adoration as he watched my somewhat startled reaction, his eyes gleaming with an immature smugness.  
"Alistair!" My cheeks flushed a deep red at the sight of him. "You... You made me jump!" Self-consciously, I took hold of a loose strand of my hair and curled it around my fingers distractedly. It was a habit I'd had since I was young. Whenever I was nervous I would curl, chew or generally just play with any loose strand of hair I could find. My parents, in particular my mother, knew this and had always taken it as a subtle sign that I'd done something I wasn't supposed to. But now everyone who had once understood it was a sign of my anxiety, was gone...  
Alistair smiled mischievously as he took his place on the log beside me. "That was the point" Satisfied he'd spooked me enough, he admitted teasingly "I noticed you were alone, staring into the flames vacantly and I thought "Hmmm... What should I do to break the tension? I know I'll sneak up behind her and scare her, because that's a sure-fire way of getting a girl to talk to you... Well after she's hit you that is.""  
I giggled and shook my head in mock disbelief. "I would never hurt you; you know that"  
"Nor I, you." He assured while gently stroking my ebony hair, brushing the loose strands out if my eyes, causing me to blush even more profusely than before. "But..." His face and tone turned serious as he studied my weary face. "...you have been awfully tense since Wynne decided to have a quiet word." I looked at him solemnly as he's usually cheerful eyes bore into me with an air of genuine concern. _He was worried for me!_ I felt my stomach do somersaults I let the thought sink in slowly. At the same time his rather unwavering stare was uncomfortable. I had never been very good when it came to socialising, despite my mother's best efforts to push me into talking with every member of the male species with even the slightest noble status. Inwardly, I drew out a long sigh. I didn't particularly want to discuss the situation with Wynne for a second time that evening, but this was Alistair I was talking with now. It wasn't as if he did not know the finer details already.  
"She thinks I'm only getting close to you in order to gain wealth and power when you become King!" I blurted without really thinking. Alistair did not say anything for a short time, he simply watched me nonchalantly as I looked at everything but him, fiddling aimlessly with my hair again. Eventually, he asked quietly in an entirely unreadable tone "And are you?"  
Abruptly, I jumped up from the log, offended and hurt that he even needed to ask. "Of course I'm not! I don't care about any of that at all, you know that!" I insisted earnestly, holding my hands out in defence. "I love you, Alistair!" I felt anguished tears brimming in my eyes.  
"I didn't mean..." Alistair stood up hastily and pulled me to his chest, obviously regretting what he'd asked. "I was trying to make a point that Wynne is wrong" He sighed resolutely and I felt his chest heave slowly as he held me. "I guess I didn't go about it very tactfully. I'm sorry..." His voice was little more than a whisper now.  
"No..." I gently pushed myself away him, shaking my head. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have snapped at you and I certainly shouldn't have doubted you" As I brushed away the few tears that had managed to escape and crawl down my burning cheeks, Alistair surveyed me with sympathy and what seemed to be self-annoyance. Gently he pulled me closer to him as a sniffed in a stupidly pathetic manner. In a smooth sweeping movement, and to my surprise, Alistair locked his tender lips with mine, sending a shockwave up my spine leaving my whole body tingling with exhilaration and ecstasy. The feeling was unfamiliar and still somewhat unknown but I closed my eyes and savoured every precious second of it. After what could have been a lifetime, our lips parted and I was left yearning for more.  
"This isn't going too fast is it?" Alistair seemed panicky as I opened my eyes.  
I smiled playfully and giggled "I'm not sure... That was only the second kiss, after all. I'm going to need a lot more testing before I can draw a conclusion"  
Visibly relaxing, Alistair matched my mischievous expression and grinned "I'm sure that can be... umm... arranged", before blushing and coughing nervously, which only caused me to giggle even more at he's cute mannerisms.  
"Has anyone every told you how adorable you are when you're flustered?"  
"Well, a beautiful woman did just tell me a few seconds ago" Alistair remarked, still blushing a deep scarlet; embarrassed by the compliment.  
"You think I'm beautiful?" I raised an eyebrow teasingly.  
"Of course you are! There isn't a more beautiful woman to be found in the whole of Thedas" It was my turn to blush now.  
"Really?" I questioned disbelievingly, incredibly flattered by the generous compliment.  
"Really!" Alistair assured with a grin, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight. He held my right hand in his and ran his left through my long dark hair. "Your hair is... err... pretty when it's down, you know. Maybe you should wear it like this more often... I mean... You don't _have_ to... But... I like it down... and up..." He commented nervously, blushing a violent shade of red. I giggled again before reaching up and kissing him on his scarlet cheek.

"You know, there was a reason, other than Wynne, why I wanted to talk to you" His tone had an edge of seriousness to it now.  
"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, wondering what he was going to say.  
"Close your eyes" He instructed mystically. Confused by the order, I did as he said and closed my eyes. I was aware of him fumbling around with something in front of me and after a few moments he gently pulled my hands out in front of me and placed something quite spiky in my palms. "Ok, you can open them" I fluttered my eyes open, blinking in the dusky night's darkness, and looked straight down at the object that Alistair had given me. It was a single rose. Its petals were blood red in colour and the stem was a luscious shade of green. Along it were several tiny thorns to protect it against those who wished to consume it. It seemed to have been picked a while ago but had been carefully preserved in all its beauty. "Do you know what this is?" Alistair asked, his voice barely audible.  
Still unsure of where this was going, I decided to joke "Your new weapon of choice?"  
"Yes, that's right! Watch as I thrash our enemies with the mighty power of floral arrangements! Feel my thorns, darkspawn! I will overpower you with my rosy scent" He teased with embellishment, making me smile. "Or," His remarked candidly "You know, it could just be a rose. I know that's pretty dull in comparison"  
I could see now he was trying to make a sincere, albeit nervous, gesture with the flower and I found the effort very endearing. Gently trying to reassure him, I indicated "Sentiment can be a pretty potent weapon"  
"Is it that easy to see right through me?" Alistair mused, chuckling somewhat to himself. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised..." There was a pause before he continued. "I picked it in Lothering. I remember thinking, "How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?" I probably should have left it alone, but I couldn't. The darkspawn would have come and their taint would just destroy it. So, I've had it ever since." Still self-conscious about what he was doing, Alistair's cheeks flushed red. I waited patiently for him to continue. "...I thought that I might... give it to you, actually. In a lot of ways, I think the same thing when I look at you."  
My heart skipped a beat. I knew he was trying to be even more charming than his usual self with the rose, but I hadn't expected anything as attentive or affectionate as that.  
"Alistair...!" I breathed, hardly able to say much else as my voice quivered, overwhelmed by his beautiful gesture. Opaque tears streamed down my cheeks making my eyes red and puffy. Panicked and confused by the fresh tears, Alistair hurriedly stammered "Licy! I didn't... mean... Please don't cry! I'm... sorry..." His cheeks had flushed a pink colour as he tentatively tried to wipe away the glistening tears as the feel rapidly down my face. "I'm such an idiot" He sighed with a sense of guilt. I shook my head forcefully.  
"Do you... really... think that Alistair" I managed to gasp through my tears. He paused his efforts to stem my tears and thought careful to himself for a brief moment.  
"Yeah, I do... But if that's going to upset you..." He was still utterly mystified at my tears, terrified he'd said something that offended me. I looked into his apologetic eyes and smiled, taking Alistair by complete surprise.  
"I'm crying because I'm happy, dummy!" I teased with a playful shove.  
"Crying... because you're happy?" He said entirely shocked at the notion. "Is that even possible?" Before I could reply he muttered under his breath "Maker, what is wrong with these women?!"  
"I could ask the same about you, men!" I remarked jokingly as I wiped away the last of my tears with my free hand, the rose still held delicately in the other. A moment of tentatively silence passed between us before I spoke softly. "Thank you, Alistair. This is such a sweet gesture... I..." I was still to a certain extent speechless at the whole affair. It was obvious that Alistair had thought incredible carefully about it over a long time. No matter how I tried to express myself back to him, it seemed insufficient in comparison.  
"I'm glad you like it, after all that weird crying with happiness." He replied playfully. "I thought maybe I could say something. Tell you what a rare and wonderful thing you are to find amidst all this... darkness."  
"Ali...!" Suddenly, I threw my arms around his neck, clutching onto the rose even though its thorns were incredibly painful against my palms, and kissed him. He was taken aback at first but quickly relaxed as if this strange new concept was becoming second nature to him. I felt the electricity between us as we connected in a way seemed completely organic and instinctive. After a time, we untangled ourselves from each other, both parties blushing again.

"Maker, you're beautiful" Alistair confessed dreamily to which I blushed an even brighter shade of red.  
There was a pause in which neither of us shared eye contact. My eyes roamed the particularly unhealthy looking grass beneath our feet, unsure of what to say. _"Why was this so hard! You would have thought it was easy expressing yourself to the person you cared most for in the world."_ Nervously, I began to speak "I think... I think it's time I turned in for the night. We have a lot to do... and..." I trailed off subconsciously. Alistair nodded slowly.  
"Yeah... You're right" His voice sounded a little hoarse as if he was unused to using it. Cautiously, he took a step forwards and lightly kissed my forehead. He blushed slightly as he said goodnight and wandered off into the darkness. I stood rooted to the spot for a few minutes after he left, staring silently into the amber flames of the campfire. Eventually, I told my body to move and I made my way over to my tent, Alistair's rose held protectively against my chest. Once inside the temporary shelter, I gently placed the rose down by my make-shift bed. It lay there lifelessly emanating what Alistair had said. _"How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?" _I couldn't help but smile as I gently stroked the ruby petals of flower. "I love you, Alistair" I whispered into the eternal abyss of the night as I slowly drifted to sleep.

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**I hope the fluff wasn't too overpowering for you! xD**

**Thank you for reading, as always, and I shall see you next time... hopefully!**


	6. A Bad Morning

**Chapter 6! Fluffing hell!  
I honestly didn't think I'd get this far. I'm constantly starting things and never getting very far/finishing them ^o^'**

**Also it's another long chapter! Whoop whoop!  
I think I'm _finally_ getting the hang of this fanfiction business :3**

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The singing and twittering of the early morning birds awoke me the next day. Lazily, I turned on my side, certain that when I did there would be no rose laid beside me, that the whole incident from the previous night had just been one big, albeit very realistic, dream. But it hadn't. Laid exactly where I remembered placing it was the rose Alistair had given me just hours ago. Instinctively, I reached out and brushed my hand gently against its velvet soft petals, smiling shyly as I recalled what Alistair had said. I was still amazed that he'd been able to keep the flower in such good condition for so long. We had last been in Lothering weeks and weeks ago and his organisation skills weren't exactly commendable. I was surprised he hadn't sat on it by accident! Perhaps he was just more dependable with his possessions than I gave him credit for, but I still had my doubts about the clumsy warden.  
Reluctantly and still half-asleep, I removed myself from my incredibly comfortable covers and began to change into my leather armour, silently cursing myself for letting that idiotic, yet adorable, Alistair keeping me up later than I'd intended.  
From seemingly nowhere, Riddle, my faithful mabari hound, jumped into the tent.  
"Riddle! What are you doing, you great big lump of fur?!" I exclaimed as he proceeded to lick me to death. "You should know better than to come into my tent, you stupid dog"  
Riddle whined unhappily as he was scolded.  
"Don't use those eyes on me" I replied when he tried to win me over with his sad face. "You've been teaching Alistair how to pull those faces, haven't you?" He barked and wagged his tail in a giddy fashion.  
"Now get out. I can't spend my day playing with you. There are a bunch of darkspawn out there that need their heads prizing from their bodies." I instructed the hound as I gave him a hasty tickle under the chin. Riddle nuzzled my cheek affectionately before obeying his mistress.  
"Daft dog" I muttered as the tent flap shut again after he left, before I continued to ready myself for the day ahead.  
While I was packing away my few possessions I noticed something or to be more precise, I _did not_ notice something. Alistair's rose was _missing_. My heart sank and panic set in. "No..." I murmured disbelievingly, shaking my head forcefully to ensure I wasn't still dreaming. But I was most definitely awake. Frantically, I started to search through everything I had already placed in my backpack, even though I was sure I had not already tried to pack it away. My heart pounded away swiftly and my hands shook. Clothing, poultices, assorted mabari treats and various odds and ends but there was no trace of a rose to be found. Panicking even more, I then began to literally turn the whole tent upside down to find the damn thing. Nothing. Then a wave of realisation washed over me.  
"Riddle! _RIDDLE!_" I screeched at the top of my lungs as I raced out of my tent and across the camp to find the dog, terrified that when I did my fears would be confirmed.  
Hidden just a little way behind Oghren's ramshackle of a tent, the hound lay silently chewing on something red and green. When he saw my panic-stricken face, Riddle growled in a playful manner, daring me to retrieve whatever he'd taken. A rose, covered in saliva and crushed beyond recognition, rested limply in between his paws.

"It's not the dog's fault, Licy. He didn't know what it was. He was just playing, weren't you boy?"  
Riddle barked innocently in reply to Alistair as we made our way through the Ferelden countryside. It was midday now, and the sun shone high in the cloudless sky. The former templar walked the pebbled path beside me, trying his best to make me feel better about the events of that morning.  
I sniffed dismissively, still unprepared to forgive the mindless creature that trotted along, seemingly guiltlessly, by my other side.  
"Why are you not as angry about this as me?" I asked incredulously.  
"It was just a rose, Licy. You can pick them anywhere. It's not as if he was chewing on a rare gem or something" There was something about his tone that left me unconvinced by his answer.  
"This wasn't just any old rose, Alistair. You picked it all that time ago in Lothering, carefully preserved it and then gave it to me as a gift. If I were in your position, I'd be outraged" I breathed irritably, avoiding his gaze.  
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll make sure to pick another pretty flower for you in the next blight-torn settlement we visit" He attempted to joke, but I glared at him sulkily causing him to sigh. "Don't say I didn't try"  
A few moments passed in which neither of us spoke. Behind me, I could hear the whispered conversations of the rest of the group. From what I could tell, Zevran was trying to impress Leliana with yet another of his fantastical assassination stories, Wynne and Oghren were having a heated debate over which ales were the best in Ferelden and Sten and Shale were both speaking candidly about their dislike of humans. Only Morrigan was not lost in conversation like the others and instead walked silently just behind myself and Alistair, most likely eavesdropping on our own discussion, but neither Alistair nor I could be bothered to tell her to stop.  
Eventually, Alistair broke the silence. "How on earth did he manage to take it, anyway? It can't have been very comfortable to carry in his mouth." I shrugged. It didn't matter to me how the stupid thing had taken the rose. What mattered was the fact that he'd caused the destruction of the most precious gifts I'd ever received.  
"I bet you're feeling a bit thorny now, boy." He remarked humorously to the mabari, to which Riddle yapped back, cheerfully. Alistair then tried to smile in my direction but I ignored him sullenly. I heard him sigh again before trying to make another joke. "I guess I shouldn't have been worry about the darkspawn destroying the rose, rather the barkspawn instead!"  
"Stop encouraging him" I snapped tetchily.  
"Andraste's flaming sword, Felicia! You could at least try to crack a smile. I bet your parents loved you when you were in a mood."  
At the mention of my parents, I shot Alistair a long, cold stare.  
"Sorry..." Guilt was etched across his face as he tried to apologise. "I guess I engaged mouth before brain"  
"Quite" I responded through gritted teeth.  
From behind us, Morrigan emitted a small but callous laugh, apparently amused by Alistair's slip-up.  
"Is there something you wanted to add, Morrigan?" Alistair asked as sarcastically and as loudly he could, turning to look at the witch.  
"Oh, 'tis nothing you need to worry your little head about" came her reply in an obnoxiously mocking manner.  
"Oh no, really. What is it? I'm sure you're dying to tell us anyway" He sneered  
"Well if you insist" A malicious smile crept across her face as she spoke. "I just thought I ought to correct you on your previous statement as I have come to find 'tis the norm for someone of your... intellect to engage mouth before brain. You seemed to suggest to our warden companion, that this was just a simple mistake, rather than something you do time and time again"  
"Yes, thank you, Morrigan, for correcting me. I would never have noticed such a blunder due to my complete lack of brainpower." came Alistair's reply, his voice was just as sarcastic and loud as before.  
"Shut up the pair of you!" I retorted as I quickened my pace to get away from them both. They were both getting on my nerves and I wasn't in the mood to tolerate their sarcasm.  
"Licy!" I ignored Alistair's attempt to call me back as I stormed ahead of the rest of the group. I could feel their eyes following me, curious as to what had occurred to cause such an outburst, but I didn't care. Unaware of where exactly I was going, I ran through the wild and unkempt fields of Ferelden until finally I stopped before a large oak tree and allowed myself to slump against its base while I tried to catch my breath and begin to think clearly again. _"Why did they always have to have a go at each other? Their petty arguments and one-upmanships will be the death of me!"_ I thought bitterly. Normally I would have done my best to ignore them and carry on with whatever it was we were all trying to do, but today I had reached my limit. It didn't help matters that I was already in a pretty foul mood to begin with. Both Morrigan and Alistair were perfectly likeable people, despite what they may have thought of each other. Every time they started taking chunks out of one another, it felt as if they were both vying for my support in their latest disagreement but I just didn't want to pick sides. I was sick of it all! Sighing, I rubbed my brow pensively. I just wanted a day- No. An hour to pass in which both of them were civil to one another or at the least kept themselves to themselves.  
Just off in the distance, I saw a figure with short dirty blond hair making their way towards me. Alistair. I knew he would have followed me but I kind of wish he hadn't. All I needed was a few moments peace away from everyone, including him.  
Still in an ill-tempered mood, I completely blanked Alistair as I stared unseeingly at the grass beneath me when he drew close to me, smiling in the awkward way that only he could.  
"Are you ok, Licy? You stormed off rather suddenly back there" The naïve concern in his voice irked me.  
"Hmm..." I tried to be as nonchalant as possible.  
"If it's Morrigan that's bugging you then just ignore her. You know she only says what she says to get a rise out of everyone in that evil witchy way of hers."  
"Morrigan is part of the problem" I admitted while trying my best to hint that there was more to it, but Alistair didn't pick up on it and continued.  
"Honestly, she's more trouble than she's worth. If Flemeth hadn't pushed her onto us imagine how much less of a headache our lives would be right now."  
"I believe it would be pretty peaceful if you weren't here either" I muttered vexingly under my breath.  
Alistair raised an eyebrow curiously. "I have one of those really horrible, butterflies-in-stomach feelings right now, that I've done something to unknowingly peeve you off."  
Massaging my temples exhaustedly, I explained irritably. "You and Morrigan, going at each other throats constantly, day in, day out. Do either of you have any idea how incredibly annoying it is to listen to you two?"  
"She's the one that starts it half the time" Alistair replied in a petulant manner, throwing his hands out in defence.  
"I don't care if the blasted Archdemon starts it, someone always has to continue it!" I snapped back a little too harshly than I'd intended as I stood up from the base of the tree and began pacing back and forth like a caged animal.  
"But you have to agree she is a complete and utter bitch!" He said, once again insulting the woman.  
"Has it ever occurred to you that some people might like her?" I folded my arms huffily.  
"Well I suggest they get their heads checked out sharpish!" He snorted in disbelief. "Don't tell me you _like_ her?"  
"Would that be so terrible?" I questioned, my voice less accusatory than it had been previously, but Alistair didn't answer. "Please could you just lay off one another, even if it's just for a short while, before I strangle the pair of you and make it look like an unfortunate accident."  
"Because that is an incredibly ladylike thing to do" He chuckled as he took a step towards me and ran his gloved fingers affectionately through my hair.  
"What makes you think I'm a lady?" I quizzed with an amused smile.  
"The rather... ahem... feminine... urr... figure gives it away" He blushed sheepishly, nervously playing with the fastenings of his armour as he did so.  
"Being female and being a lady, are entirely different concepts, I find" I stated as I drew closer to him, a roguish glint in my eyes.  
"Well, I think I'll needed to be educated on such differences" My, then, playful attitude was paralleled in his own voice and body language.  
"I'd be happy to teach you" I whispered before reaching up to kiss the fellow warden, my arms wrapping themselves carefully around his neck as I felt Alistair gently place his hands on my waist.  
"You know, I could get used to this" He grinned once we'd broken away from one another.  
Giving him an inquisitive look, I asked "To what?"  
"Being kissed by stunningly beautiful woman at regular intervals"  
I laughed sceptically. "Don't think flattery will get you a fast pass back into my good books"  
"You're still annoyed at me?" His tone was one of disbelief.  
"I can hold a grudge for an exceedingly long time, Alistair. It's going to take a lot of hard work before I forgive you" I teased.  
"Wow!" came his amazed reply. "But we can talk about my... _punishment_ later. Right now, we still have one of those pesky blights to put an end to" He was about to gesture for me to follow him back to where the others were waiting, before he stopped himself. "I almost forgot!" Completely out of the blue, Alistair took out a rather limp looking daisy from the pouch on his belt. "Do you know what _this_ is?"  
I crossed my arms and sighed in an amused manner. "A replacement for your rose?"  
"Yes! I lovingly picked it especially for you" He teased.  
"And what are you trying to say with this flower? That I look like I'm going to keel over at any given moment because that's the impression I'd be getting from it if it was still in the ground. It's hardly the healthiest looking specimen." I pointed out dryly.  
"It's not very polite to insult a gift that someone has thoughtfully spent a lot of time selecting for you. But, if you don't want it, I'll..."  
"It's absolutely beautiful and I will treasure it forever. Thank you so much, Alistair." I interjected in a deliberately unconvincing tone, swiftly taking the daisy from him. He smiled amusedly.  
"Good, now that the warm fuzzy part of the day is over with, we can get back to ritual dismemberments. Oh wait! It's not Tuesday, is it?" I shook my head, giggling as I pretended to hit Alistair over the head, we slowly made our way back to the others. _"Why did he make it so difficult to be angry with him?"_

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**I think if my mabari actually did this in game, I'd put out a contract on him with the Antivan Crows!**  
**Nobody touches ma rose! Hmpf!**


End file.
